LCBO Food and Drink Holiday 2016

a show oF Cookies from page 95

ing sheets with parchment. Roll out dough to a scant ¼ inch (about 5 mm) thick, pinching cracks together as necessary. Using templates and a sharp knife, cut out 2 houses and care- fully transfer to baking sheet 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating halfway through, or until edges of cookies are golden. Let cool completely on baking sheets before moving. 5 Combine royal icing mix and lemon juice in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 6 to 8 minutes or until stiff and voluminous. Thin with a bit of extra lem- on juice until preferred consistency for deco- rating. Using a piping bag and tip, decorate as desired. Makes 4 to 5 large cookies TEA GUIDE To make matcha, Earl Grey or chai cookies, finely grind tea (except matcha, which does not need to be ground further), and use 2 tsp (10 mL) per batch of dough. To make cranberry, chamomile or ginger tea cookies, finely grind tea and use 4 tsp (20 mL) per batch of dough. To create a multi-tree display, make a sec- ond batch of the dough and proceed to make two isosceles triangle templates: the first 4 x 2 inches (10 x 5 cm) and the second 5 x 3 inches (12 x 8 cm). Roll out and cut 12 of the smaller triangles, and 8 of the larger; use scraps to make stars if desired. Proceed to bake as instructed in the recipe; meanwhile, prepare a second batch of icing. Assemble as instructed in the recipe. To decorate, use an offset spatula to scrape icing downwards along sides, leaving some of the cookie re- vealed beneath. Let dry completely before han- dling further, about 2 hours. CHESTNUT GINGERBREAD TREES DI SPLAY ORANGE FLOWER SHORTBREADS DI SPLAY To create a cookie jar display, fill a large trans- parent cookie jar (or other suitable vessel) with decorative sanding sugar to a depth of 2 inches (5 cm). Nestle as many cookies as you’re able into the sugar and top with the lid.

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TEA HOUSES These tasty and delicate sugar cookies begin with a simple dough that can be flavoured with any number of finely ground teas. Mak- ing charming house-shaped cookies intended to lie flat, instead of as components to a three- dimensional house, means they’re perfect for beginners. Royal icing mix is available from many bulk shops and most cake decorating stores. 2 cups (500 mL) flour ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt ½ tsp (2 mL) baking powder 2 to 4 tsp (10 to 20 mL) finely ground tea (see TEA GUIDE, this page, for quantities) ½ cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, softened ¾ cup (175 mL) sugar 1 egg 1 cup (250 mL) royal icing mix 1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice, plus extra for thinning 1 Using sturdy construction paper or trans- parency film, cut out four or five of your fa- vourite house shapes to be used as templates, each roughly 4 inches (10 cm) wide by 7 inches (18 cm) tall. 2 In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, bak- ing powder and desired tea. In a separate bowl, creambutter and sugar using an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until all is incorporated. Divide dough in half, flatten slightly and wrap in cling wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. 3 Arrange oven with 2 racks and preheat to 350°F (180°C). 4 Working with 1 quantity of dough at a time, remove from fridge and unwrap; let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, line 2 large bak-

MUST-HAVES Page 31 CENTRE OF ATTENTION LED string lights , from Whole Foods Market , wholefoodsmarket.com. COTTAGE HOLIDAY Page 118 Wooden candle holders , from Green Light District , 365 Roncesvalles Ave., Toronto, 416-272-5005, greenlightshop.ca. Wreaths , from Floral Fetish , floralfetish.com. Black dining chairs , from IKEA , ikea.ca. Pages 120, 121 & 125 Plates and bowls , from Speck and Stone , speckandstone.com. Page 124 Moose and deer heads , from White Faux Taxidermy , whitefauxtaxidermy.com. LUNCH FOR A BUNCH Page 142 Christmas tree star , from Fiori , 633 St. Clair Ave. West, Toronto, 416-658-0715, fiorifloral.com. Page 145 Copper lantern , from Mjölk , 2959 Dundas St. West, Toronto, 416-551-9853, mjolk.ca. DISTINCTIVE DRINKS Pages 164 & 165 Hand-blown ornaments , from Fiori , fiorifloral.com. SOURCE RESOURCE Items photographed, but not listed, are from personal collections.

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